Yang Kai changed his incantation once more and delivered another palm strike. "Exorcise!"
As the light flashed, a column of black qi erupted from behind Li Jiao, as though a vengeful spirit clinging to him had been blasted away. Wails and howls, like the cries of ghosts, accompanied the discharge.
The black qi that surged outward persisted for a full dozen breaths before finally dissipating entirely. Once the demonic energy was completely purged, a flash of undisguised joy crossed Li Jiao's eyes.
He knew his own condition better than anyone. For days he had been plagued by demonic qi that clung to his body like bone-grease — perpetually regenerating, impossible to expel no matter how powerful his Third-Order Emperor cultivation might be.
But now, after what Yang Kai had done, he could clearly feel that the problem which had tormented him for so long had been utterly resolved. Not a trace of demonic qi remained inside him. With the demonic energy gone and the Bloodthirst Art keeping any resurgence in check, no demonic thoughts could stir in his heart anymore. His spiritual sea felt clearer than it had in ages.
"Many thanks, Palace Master Yang!" Li Jiao was moved nearly to tears.
The words had barely left his mouth when Yang Kai flashed him a broad grin and then slammed a palm into him with savage force. This was no exorcism technique — the power behind it was considerable. Most crucially, it carried the suppressive force of dragon blood.
Poor Li Jiao, a Third-Order Emperor realm powerhouse, didn't even have time to react. The blow struck him squarely, and he collapsed unconscious on the spot.
Yang Kai reached out and made a beckoning gesture. Li Jiao vanished without a trace.
Zhu Lie, who had been watching coldly from the side, couldn't help but widen his eyes, unable to figure out where Yang Kai had spirited Li Jiao away to.
Only Zhu Qing knew — that little dragon must have been tossed into that strange space. With the laws of the world about to shift, even though the demonic qi in Li Jiao's body had been cleansed, he would inevitably be reinfected if he didn't find shelter. The Human Emperor City was too far away, and Demon Rage City offered no place to hide. That strange space was the best option available.
Recalling what had happened inside that strange space, Zhu Qing felt a faint warmth rise to her cheeks.
By now, the shift in the world's laws was unmistakable. The ambient spiritual energy seemed to have been contaminated by something alien, rapidly transforming into demonic qi.
The Demon Kings and Demon Commanders waited with eager anticipation. This was the aura of their ancestral land — when the laws of the Reincarnation World tilted toward the Demon Domain, their Cultivation and recovery would accelerate significantly.
The little black puppy also grew excited beyond measure, clearly relishing this new configuration of the world's laws. It opened its massive jaws wide and began greedily devouring the demonic qi that saturated the surroundings.
In no time at all, the world had been utterly transformed. Thick demonic qi filled the landscape in every direction, casting the sky and earth into a murky gloom. The oppressive density of it gave one the illusion of having stepped directly into the Demon Domain.
Yang Kai didn't know what the actual Demon Domain looked like, but he guessed it couldn't be much different from the Reincarnation World at this very moment.
This particular shift in the laws lasted only three days before ending. In that time, the powerhouses of Demon Rage City had recovered a fair amount, but it was still far from enough to satisfy the little black puppy's ravenous appetite.
Three days later, Yang Kai took the little black puppy back to Yin Wind Mountain. When he returned, his brow was furrowed. Under the disappointed gazes of the assembled Demon Kings and Demon Commanders, he set the puppy down and let it continue devouring the demonic origin energy.
"How does it look?" Zhu Lie asked, looking up.
"No exit in sight." Yang Kai shook his head.
Although he had managed to push a bit farther forward this time, he still couldn't determine where the exit might be. In other words, the little black puppy's current strength was still insufficient to lead them out. There was nothing to do but let it grow stronger.
Zhu Qing stepped forward and gently took Yang Kai's hand. "Don't worry. We'll find a way out eventually — it's just a matter of how long it takes."
Yang Kai chuckled softly. "I'm not all that worried. It's just that this wretched place is a bit suffocating. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can put our minds at ease."
Zhu Qing hesitated for a moment, then asked quietly, "What if we really can't get out?"
Yang Kai tightened his grip on her hand and said with deep affection, "Then we'll grow old together here."
Zhu Qing lowered her head, her face flushing red.
"You two — do you think I'm blind?" Zhu Lie let out a cold snarl, his expression dark.
He had already warned Yang Kai in no uncertain terms, yet the man hadn't taken a single word of it to heart. That alone was bad enough, but to carry on with this lovey-dovey nonsense right under his nose was absolutely intolerable.
Yang Kai raised his arm and wrapped it around Zhu Qing's shoulders, then shot Zhu Lie a provocative look. "Keep an eye on things here. I'm taking your sister out for a stroll."
With that, he swept Zhu Qing into his arms and took to the air.
Li Jiao panicked, shouting after them, "Palace Master Yang, please come back soon!"
Without Yang Kai's protection, he had no chance of withstanding the demonic qi that accompanied the shifting of the laws. He still didn't know what method Yang Kai had used earlier, but while he had been unconscious, not a single wisp of demonic qi had touched him.
If he wanted to survive in this place, his only hope was to rely on Yang Kai.
"Where are we going?" Zhu Qing assumed Yang Kai had brought her out for some specific purpose, her expression innocent and earnest.
"Anywhere — so long as there's no one else around."
The implication was far too brazen. Zhu Qing understood it instantly, and her heart began to race like a startled rabbit as her face burned crimson.